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By Yao Lirong, June 17, '26
Jenny Lu, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia takes First Prize
Yaqi Xi, University of Warwick, UK joint runner-up
Alexis Wu, University of Michigan, US joint runner-up
Beijing/London June 18th 2026: At the 2026 Beijing International Book Fair, the international bestselling author, BIBF Reading Ambassador, Liu Zhenyun announced the winners of the Voices of Today Translation Prize. Jenny Lu, a doctorate student from University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia took first prize with runners-up Yaqi Xi, PhD researcher and associate tutor from Warwick University, UK and Alexis Wu, literary translator, historical linguist from University of Michigan, US.
Launched this year to encourage and discover new voices in Chinese-English literary translation, The Voices of Today Literary Translation Prize attracted over 100 entries from 14 countries with the participants invited to translate a substantial excerpt from international bestselling, Liu Zhenyun’s, new novel – Salty Jokes*.
The Judging Panel comprised prize-winning sinologists and academics: Chair, Nicky Harman (Paper Republic); Esther Tyldesley (University of Edinburgh); Amanda Ruiqing Flynn (writer and poet).
Remarking on the winners the judges said the following:
Of the Winner, Jenny Lu Amanda Ruiqing Flynn said:
‘It is said that much work goes into making something appear effortless, and this is true of the winning entry. It was a real pleasure for the judges to read this translation – the translator displayed a deftness in rendering the tone and emotional logic of Liu Zhenyun’s writing, maintaining its understated elegance with confidence. The translation skillfully balances layers of comedy and contemplation in the story, knowing when each takes the lead through intuitive adjustments in tone, rhythm and syntax.This tension holds the reader, allowing the story to flourish in English whilst simultaneously remaining true to its original.’
Jenny Lu comments:
‘It means a great deal to me to be the first recipient of this prize. Literary translation tends to work in the background, which is partly its nature, so to see it celebrated like this is something I'll carry with me. I'm especially glad the prize begins with Chinese fiction, and with a writer like Liu Zhenyun, whose work deserves a wide English readership. My thanks to the judges, to Singing Grass, and to Paper Republic for creating something that takes this work seriously.’
Of Runner-Up, Yaqi Xi Esther Tyldesley said:
‘All the judges agreed that this was a very strong contender indeed. We felt that it stood up very well to scrutiny when read side by side with the source text, but that it also read very well as a piece of English. We praised the flow and rhythms of the writing, which dealt equally well with classical poetry, casual dialogue and deep philosophical concepts. We also particularly appreciated the thoughtful word choices, especially in places where very Chinese concepts were transferred into accessible, idiomatic English. An excellent, polished, quietly sophisticated piece of work.’
Yaqi Xi comments:
‘I am very grateful to Singing Grass, Paper Republic, and the judges for this recognition, and for creating a prize that makes space for literary translators to be seen and for literary voices from China to travel further. I feel honoured to have spent time with Mr Liu Zhenyun’s new novel, Salty Jokes, through translation. I found myself moved by its humour and wisdom, and by the depth of feeling it draws out of ordinary life. I believe this story will find its way into many readers’ hearts in China and far beyond.’
Of Runner-Up, Alexis Wu Nicky Harman said:
‘The judges loved the voice of this translation: engaging, lively, slightly cheeky; perfectly in keeping with the original. The translator dealt successfully with the many linguistic challenges, including conveying culturally unfamiliar concepts, and the natural-sounding dialogue and confident tone of the translation made for a great read. We liked the subtle way the use of dialect was indicated, and enjoyed the imaginative word choices. Altogether, a very promising entry.’
Alexis Wu comments:
‘I am gladdened and honoured to be the runner-up of the inaugural Voices of Today Literary Translation Prize. I regret that I cannot personally attend the Beijing International Book Fair this year, but I do hope I may get to be back there someday soon. My gratitude to Singing Grass and Paper Republic for organising this contest and to the panel of judges for their recognition. Congratulations also to my two fellow prizewinners; may our passion for translation persist and continue to flourish’.
Commenting overall on the the high standard of entries, and on behalf of the judging panel Nicky Harman said, ’The judges would like to congratulate the organisers of the inaugural Voices of Today Translation Prize; we translators have waited a long time to see an international Chinese-to-English translation prize commensurate with the quality of translations coming out of the Sinophone world, and Voices of Today did not disappoint.’
During the presentation at BIBF, Liu Zhenyun celebrated the art of literary translation, acknowledging the different voices that can inform a text, through the presentation of the 7 different descriptive names attributed to the ‘liquor’ referred to in the text translated by the Voices of Today shortlisted participants: Daily Grain Liquor - Alex Woodend (USA), Ration Liquor - Alexis Wu (USA/UK), Daily Rations - Andrew Rule (US), Liquid Rations - Christopher MacDonald (UK), Ration Spirit - Jenny Lu (Australia), Daily Drop - Yaqi Xi (UK), Daily Booze - Yee Heng Yeh (Malaysia).
Created and administered by Singing Grass UK and China, the Voices of Today Literary Translation Prize aims to connect contemporary literary output from China with the rest of the world while showcasing the wealth of a new generation of literary translators from Chinese to English.
*Salty Jokes - Working title
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By Yao Lirong, June 2, '26
London, Beijing June 1st 2026: Launched this year to encourage and discover new voices in Chinese-English literary translation, The Voices of Today Literary Translation Prize attracted over 100 entries from 14 countries with the participants invited to translate a substantial excerpt from international bestselling, Liu Zhenyun’s, new novel – Salty Jokes*.
The Judging Panel comprised prize-winning sinologists and academics: Chair, Nicky Harman(Paper Republic); Esther Tyldesley (University of Edinburgh); Amanda Ruiquing Flynn (writer and poet).
Delighted with the high standard of entries, Nicky Harman commented on behalf of the judging panel, ’The judges would like to congratulate the organisers of the inaugural Voices of Today Translation Prize; we translators have waited a long time to see an international Chinese-to-English translation prize commensurate with the quality of translations coming out of the Sinophone world, and Voices of Today did not disappoint.’
The shortlist for the 2026 VOICES OF TODAY LITERARY TRANSLATION PRIZE is:
-Alex Woodend (USA)
-Alexis Wu (USA / UK)
-Andrew Rule (USA)
-Christopher MacDonald (UK)
-Jenny Lu(Australia)
-Yaqi Xi (UK)
-Yee Heng Yeh (Malaysia)
With entries from across the globe, the prize attracted truly international participation whose entries allowed the chosen excerpt to flourish in English while remaining true to the style and voice of the original text.
Nicky Harman adds: ‘We would like to offer our congratulations to all who took part, whether shortlisted or not. The text chosen, taken from a novel by one of China’s best loved authors, Liu Zhenyun was challenging, with its highly individual authorial voice, its sprightly rhythm and use of dialect, and its lines of classical poetry. But this year’s entrants rose to the challenge: the standard of entries was gratifyingly high and it was clear to us judges how much care had been taken to deliver texts that not only reflected the multi-layered content but recreated the voice of the author in English. In short, the Voices of Today Prize has succeeded in showcasing some remarkable new talent.’
Created and administered by Singing Grass UK and China, the Voices of Today Literary Translation Prize aims to connect contemporary literary output from China with the rest of the world while showcasing the wealth of a new generation of literary translators from Chinese to English.
Alicia Liu, CEO & Founder Singing Grass says, ‘The response to this literary translation initiative exceeded all expectations and demonstrates the thirst for cross-cultural collaboration and the need for us to connect through each other’s literature. We are so grateful that Liu Zhenyun, as ever, was generous enough to make his work available to encourage new voices in this field. Huge thanks and congratulations to all those who participated and to those who are shortlisted.’
More information can be found here and the winner will be announced by BIBF Global Reading Ambassador on June 18th at a special ceremony.
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By Andrew Rule, May 30, '26
For the last three months, I’ve been talking to dozens of Chinese internet authors, translators, editors, industry professionals, scholars, students, and fans from all over the world about what Chinese webnovels they would recommend to new readers of internet literature. The resulting list is a portrait of the staggering diversity of this form, with links to translations that you can read now even if you’ve never touched a Chinese webnovel before.
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By Yao Lirong, May 20, '26
Taiwan Travelogue is the first book translated from Mandarin Chinese to win the International Booker Prize. The novel, which takes the form of a fictional translation of a rediscovered Japanese travel memoir, explores history, power, class, colonialism and love through the lens of two women’s culinary tour across Japan-controlled Taiwan in the 1930s.
Read the news here.
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In his message, Liu Zhenyun expresses his sincere thanks to all participants, and reflects on the emotional connections that sit beneath language — and the shared experiences that bind us across cultures.
By Eleanor Duggan - for Global Literature in Libraries Initiative - International YA Lit Month
By Yue (Cathy) Wang, for Global Literature in Libraries Intiative - International YA Literature Month
By Andrew Rule, May 9, '26
After a few months away, we’re back with a bulky news update to roll you into summer! It’s been a busy spring in the translation world, as the submission deadlines for various translation mentorships, competitions, and other opportunities have come and gone. One of these, the open call for samples for the upcoming READ PAPER REPUBLIC: SPOTLIGHT series, is still going on! Emerging translators (those who have published no more than one book-length translation) can simply send a sample of any of their translated work to info AT paper-republic DOT org before midnight on May 10 to be entered into the running. More details here: https://paper-republic.org/pers/andrew-rule/call-for-participants-read-paper-republic-spotlight/
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By Andrew Rule, April 12, '26
In partnership with the Beijing-based literary platform Newriting 鲤, Paper Republic is excited to announce a new iteration of READ PAPER REPUBLIC, our online publication series featuring translated short fiction! (To see previous editions, click here.)
Earlier this year saw the completion of the second annual Fubi Project 伏笔, which awarded four amateur writers from across China with funds to finish writing their first book. Now Paper Republic is looking for emerging translators to help translate excerpts of the four winning works and introduce them to the English-speaking world.
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By Nicky Harman, March 26, '26
Join us for our next Open University Confucius Institute event, a discussion of Hu Anyan's novel, I deliver parcels in Beijing. The discussion, led by translator Jack Hargreaves and facilitated by Nicky Harman and Emily Jones, takes place online on Friday 1st May, at 13:00 – 14:00 UK time. Platform: Microsoft Teams. Discussion language: English.
Free event but please register on Eventbrite here.
On Thursday, March 26, a number of Chinese writers, including Chen Qiufan, Liang Qingsan, Bao Shu, Gu Shi, Wang Weilian, Shen Dacheng, and Liang Ling, will be gathering at an event in the PageOne Bookshop in Beijing to talk with each other and with translators, publishers and critics from around the world.
The event is open to the public and will be livestreamed on Zoom.
To watch, the Zoom meeting ID is 244 436 8733 and the password is 998877123.
It will take place 19:00-21:00 Beijing time.
See you there!
By Nicky Harman, February 23, '26
Jack Hargreaves and I were part of this panel, held at Lancaster University and online, on this key topic.
The most frequently recurring titles from over 20 book lists from cultural departments, (state-affiliated) magazines, and publishing industry blogs.
Thanks to Andrew, Cold Winter Newsletter, 22 Feb 2026
Two translation workshops are taking place on Monday 23rd February in Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy. Chinese-to-English led by Jack Hargreaves and English-to-Chinese led by Yu Kit Cheung.
For more details, see the link.
By Yao Lirong, February 14, '26
Singing Grass and Paper Republic are delighted to announce a new prize for translated fiction from Chinese to English designed to showcase literary translators of contemporary voices.
This exciting initiative will invite participants to translate a short extract from the acclaimed Mao Dun prize-winning author, Liu Zhenyun whose new novel: Salty Jokes has just taken China by storm.
The winning translator will receive £1500 and 2 runners-up £500 each.
The submissions will be judged by an international Jury of translation experts.
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By Yao Lirong, February 9, '26
We’ve been busy! In the last two months, we released two new Read Paper Republic collections. Highlights include 'Four Nanjing Poets' (a collaboration with Manchester City of Literature) and a special showcase of Taiwanese poets curated by Nero Huang. Explore the full series here.
As the Chinese New Year draws to a close, it’s a perfect time to look back at our 2025 Roll Calls for Chinese literature in English translation. A special thanks to Andrew Rule—thanks to his hard work, this year’s lists are more vibrant and visually engaging than ever.
In the meantime, we are making a final push for our community survey! We’ll be wrapping things up in mid-February, so please take a moment to share your thoughts. Your input is essential as we work to enhance Paper Republic in 2026.
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